PPG produced some highly innovative, creative products in the early and mid 1980s. Especially their synthesizer range has always been fascinating. PPG Wave instruments are a unique conglomerate of technical unreliability and unsurpassed musical expression.
Wave 2.0 / 2.2 and 2.3 are among the greatest synthesizers of all time, although they are no instruments for the occasional user. You need to invest time (and some money) to get the best out of these machines …
Some pictures and sound examples of a PPG Wave 2.2 …
How good is a Microwave I in comparison with the PPG? Sound wise I mean…character, are they close enough?
… not really. No Waldorf synth (not even the huge Wave) sounds like a PPG. You hear it clearly in the above audio demos … the PPG VCAs are powerful and the VCFs are fantastic … and, very important, the stereo image is superb! Anyway, the Microwave I (especially with Access programmer) might be the most “authentic” PPG emulation out of the Microwave series … thanks to its analog filters …
the greatest synth ever, a real game changer at the time, unbelievable how palm got the envelopes so thight with such a tiny cpu as they are digital, warm cutting fizzy, furry and totally unique, and easy to operate, I will never part with mine